How come poor Marcus' name is getting thrown around in a derogatory sense so much all of a sudden? C'mon now that was Sky's guy (for the old timers here). Miss his posts. I used to hang out on LG just to read him over there after he got fed up here for some reason.

I got kicked out of LG about 4 months ago. Was never told why, but I think it was because I said I wanted to lick Ann Curry's butt. I don't know.

Mike Trudell wrote:When Chris Douglas-Roberts was growing up on the west side of Detroit, there were times when he'd go to bed without heat or light, with the echoes of gang violence ringing through the night.

When he played professionally in Italy during the lockout in 2011-12 after three previous years in the NBA, he had to heat up water on a stove before bathing his baby daughter.

The last signing to L.A.'s training camp roster, CDR is now fighting to make it back into the NBA.

But as he describes to Lakers.com in an extended Q&A, the hardships in his life have defined him, have made him stronger, have hardened the resolve it's taken to get this far.

He's a happy man, and having to overcome odds to make it back into the league is the least of his worries.

Douglas-Roberts details the toughest part of his early NBA years, describes his childhood in Detroit and the school system he came from as well as the difficulties of growing up in a single-parent household. He also delves into how Kobe Bryant treats his teammates and the results of 1-on-1 matchups with Bryant in practice and shares his thoughts on the personalities - and skills - of Pau Gasol, Steve Nash and Dwight Howard:

Below is a complete transcript of our CDR conversation:

MT: Let's start with a brief review of your early career, Chris. Coming off a successful three year stint at the University of Memphis, you were selected with the No. 40th pick in the 2008 Draft, no doubt lower than you had hoped to go. You eventually made your mark in the NBA with a scoring binge to open your sophomore campaign, before seeing your minutes cut. How would you describe your early life in the league?CDR: Even though I was drafted at No. 40, I remained confident in myself. I always have been confident and have always had to prove myself on every level. Luckily I had a contract and a coach in Lawrence Frank who believed in me, but I had to prove myself especially after I sprained my MCL early in my rookie year. When I came back, I was playing the catch up game until the last two months of the season. Coach Frank gave me a chance - we weren't a playoff team - and he liked what he saw. The next year they traded Vince Carter, and I looked at it as my opportunity. I ran with it. That was the story of my life, being the underdog, but outperforming guys and earning my keep. Nobody really expected me to make noise, honestly, but I came out averaging 17 (points) per game* for the first few months of my second season. Then things changed. (Former Nets GM and coach) Kiki Vandeweghe came in and didn't have a good relationship with me. He pretty much put me on the back burner, for whatever reason, and since then I've been trying to play catch up again. *Douglas-Roberts averaged 17.3 ppg in November and 16.4 in December before seeing his minutes cut in January (7.7 pp.) and February (3.3).

MT: How do you reflect upon how you handled that situation?CDR: Now that I'm two years older, I know I should have handled it differently. I was 22 at the time, and I handled it the wrong way. I have to be honest with myself. I was very upset, and I was very honest in the media when they asked me why I wasn't playing. I'd say, 'I don't know.' It hurt me, I think, in the way some executives see me. My agent would tell me that they think of me in a way that doesn't really represent me. As if I were a bad locker room guy, and that couldn't be farther from the truth. A lot of stuff was said in Jersey that stuck with me that was just false. But you can't defend yourself to everyone because that can make it worse. I figured that out, but not until later, man. The best way in this league is to keep your mouth shut at times. It's not just about basketball. If you're better than someone, you aren't always going to play over them and you just have to swallow that. I'm such a competitor that it was so hard to take the first time I went through it. MT: Kobe Bryant seems to like that attitude in you; I've noticed you spending time with him at practice...CDR: Right, I think that's it. Kobe respects that. I'm trying to kill you out there every time. There's no such thing as friends on the court, and I felt like I'd (earned my place). So when I got benched, I didn't know how to handle it.

MT: You said something earlier that struck me, calling yourself an underdog. You're 6-7 with great talent and skill, more so than most, so is it just more of a mindset?CDR: That's just been the way I've been making my way the whole life. I've just had that chip on my shoulder to drive me, and I think it's what's gotten me this far. Even when I walked in here to the Lakers facility, I walked in like I'm supposed to be here. I don't have butterflies. The only thing that makes me nervous is the business side. But I feel comfortable on the court, and that's why most of these guys respect me. Honestly I cringe when I think about the fact that I'm just on the training camp roster. I don't think of myself in that light, but I'm just here to work.

MT: After your second year in New Jersey, you were signed by the Bucks in 2010-11, and averaged seven points in 20 minutes per game in a crowded backcourt. Then came the lockout, and you opted to play in Italy for Virtus Bologna. How did you end up making that decision, and what do you take from what I know was quite a life experience?CDR: I really made that decision blindly. I knew there was going to be some time off with the lockout, and for me, like I've been saying, it was just about basketball. I just wanted to go play hoops, even if it was in Italy. I turned down more money in other countries so it wasn't about that. I just wanted to play. I took my girlfriend, Raven, with me and she was pregnant at the time with our daughter, Zé Alexandria, who is 9 months old now. I had no clue what I was getting myself into. Living conditions were not good at all. The apartment was extremely small; nobody spoke English. We didn't have any hot water until the last week I was there, so we had to warm up water to give my baby baths. Then we had to make trips back and forth to the kitchen to pour it. We were taking six hour busses to the games, with no food on the bus. On the road, you have a roommate on two twin beds and I'm 6-7, so my legs are hanging off the bed and it's hard to sleep.

MT: On the court, I've heard stories about such leagues not being particularly fond of former NBA players. But maybe that ended up teaching you something?CDR: That's right, they didn't love me. It was hard getting any fouls called. But you can't change that, man. It's how you're perceived. With all that said, it changed me as a person and made me a better basketball player. That's the main takeaway. I'd just never have known how great it is to play in the NBA. I learned so many life lessons over there. I had a good time with my teammates, guys from Italy, Finland, Georgia (the country), Serbia. Basketball lives on regardless, and to them, they don't know any different or better. And they weren't complaining, so I why should I?

MT: It must have been fun exchanging stories with guys from all over the world, right?CDR: Of course. The greatest thing about that, no matter what kind of locker room you're in - guys are going to talk about girls. You know what I mean? Regardless. Period. It was great hearing those guys tell similar stories that you hear wherever, in broken English, but you understand exactly what they were saying.

MT: Give me something about food, and something about music...CDR: First of all, we ate pasta every day. EVERY day. That's what it is over there. Pasta with grilled chicken. I was like, 'Man, you don't have alfredo sauce? The white sauce?' They're looking at me like I'm crazy. So one of my teammates, Pepe, an Italian, said American pasta is like Finnish rap music. You know. And that was great for me. They destroy our American pasta. 'You all don't have real pasta,' they say. And my boy Patrick from Finland would listen to Finnish rap in the weight room, and I was all over that, telling him it was terrible. So Pepe made me relate to it. They like the mainstream classic rap over there, and they aren't into the gangster rap lyrics. They want Alicia Keys or the Jay-Z that's on the radio ... no mix tapes. Like Meek Mill, someone that I like that's in over here, they won't listen to.

MT: God Forgives I Don't?CDR: Heck no. Rick Ross isn't in the mix over there. It has to be really watered down. They wouldn't dare.

MT: All right, let's get back to the tone we started with. You mentioned the perception of you as a bad locker room guy due to the situation in New Jersey with Kiki Vandeweghe, but all the players I've spoken with seem to love you. How about your other coaches?CDR: My whole life, whatever team I've been on, my teammates have always liked me, so I appreciate that love. I've never been what some of the stories told in Jersey. At the same time, I have great relationships with all of my coaches throughout my life, starting with my AAU coach in Detroit, Coach Speedy (Durand Walker), who's now a Pistons scout. He's basically the guy that got me out of the hood in (west) Detroit and put me on the AAU circuit. I love my college coach, (John) Calipari and vice versa. And so on. My high school coach called me yesterday. I have a great relationship with (now Pistons coach) Lawrence Frank. They know how much I love the game and what I give to it.

MT: I know that where you grew up and what you went through there has had a profound impact on who you are. Is that where the chip comes from? Were you born with it?CDR: I'm from the west side of Detroit, Mike, and I'm very prideful of that. I'm from the number streets: 30th Street. I got that tattooed on me not to glorify the neighborhood - because there are many nights I didn't want to be in the hood - but that's what I am, it's a part of me. I feel like if I made it out of that, there's nothing that can hold me back. People think I'm really stressed out by being in this position trying to make a roster. But I made it out of the number streets in Detroit, man! I made it out of there! I feel like can make it through anything. There were tough days and tough nights, and I had to keep a singular focus to make it out of there. This is a luxury now, trying to make it back in the NBA.

MT: Who was your biggest influence, your biggest support system?CDR: My mother raised me by herself, basically. I had contact with my father, but he was in New York, you know? A lot of the time was spent with my mother, and the reason I'm so confident and mentally tough is because of her. She did that by herself! She worked every day, catching the bus in the bad neighborhood at night. She did it with ease. I've seen her cry two times in my life, and now that I have a family of my own I know how tough that is. She was the biggest reason for everything that I have right now. Everything.

MT: It's really transparent to see how much that meant to you, but stories of that kind seem all too common, where that burden is all on a single mother. Why? I know how much your daughter means to you, and that you couldn't imagine not being there for her...CDR: That's the million dollar question. How does this happen? But it's extremely common. None of my homeboys had their pops around growing up. None of them!

MT: Everybody has their own set of problems of various kinds, but the particular area where I grew up (western suburbs of Minneapolis), it was nearly the opposite on the parental front.CDR: It's a shame, because in that environment, we need (father figures). I had a homeboy who never really knew his pops, but we'd see his pops around. He lived two blocks away, but he'd never see his son. But we are trying to break the cycle now. I know I am. But the neighborhood isn't necessarily like that. If that's ALL you know, how can you act differently? I understand that a lot of people judge the neighborhood, but you can't really understand if you've never been there.

MT: Of course not. Let me ask you a difficult hypothetical: what if you were 5-7 instead of 6-7?CDR: Who knows. I'm very thankful with how things worked out, but I'll tell you this: I never had a plan B. I used to talk to kids at camp in Memphis and Detroit, where I may have an impact because guys just don't make it out. So when they see someone like me make it out, it's huge. My teachers always used to ask me what Plan B was and I said, 'I don't know.' I think Plan B is a crutch if Plan A doesn't work. If you just give your Plan A your all, it's never over. Once I put my mind to playing basketball and making it the the NBA this is why I'm here.

MT: I have a ton of respect for that perseverance, but what about kids that don't have your mix of ability and work ethic? Education has been the backup plan - if not the first plan - of many communities, but I don't want to judge how the schools were in your community?CDR: Honestly Mike, (it's hard for me to) believe in education to that extent where I'm from. I've seen guys who have no interest in the least in school just get passed along to get them out of a class. My mother would correct me if I spoke incorrectly in the house and my father was a professor on a college level, so the intellect goes back to my family for me. But I learned most of my stuff through my parents and experience outside of the classroom. Just because of the place where I'm from, we didn't have good schools. You could feel a different way because of where you're from, I'm guessing, but in west Detroit, it's tough.

MT: That's hard to hear, to understand the root of the problem that goes back years and years and must be so complicated. Devil's advocate: no matter what the school, if one really applies him or herself in the classroom, there's a way out?CDR: I have a little cousin who was a straight A student, a great student throughout high school who just graduated. But when the standardized tests came back in order to get into college, she failed. She was that student who believed, who worked hard, but the level of education she got just wasn't good enough. She didn't meet the standards. And that's (a common) story of that area.

MT: To what extent has the spirit gone out for many of the children from your neighborhood?CDR: Detroit as a whole has been beaten down for years. We're trying to bring it back, but you can just look around. The heart of Detroit are these neighborhoods where kids are just running wild. But the thing is, I understand exactly where they're coming from though. They feel hopeless. They feel like, 'What are we supposed to do? We don't have money, we don't have anything. What should we do? What can we do? We're just gonna be out here!' They feel mistreated, they feel like they don't have anyone to trust. I try to let them know that they have to deal with disappointment better.

MT: Does that feeling have something to do with your reaction in New Jersey? You were so disappointed, feeling like you were pulled off the court - even if (Vandeweghe) had a simple basketball reason, right or wrong - that you didn't know how to react?CDR: Certainly. It all ties in, it's all one and the same. Let's say you have three good days where I come from in the neighborhood, but then on the fourth night, they cut the lights off. Or they cut the water off. Maybe the heat gets cut off because the bill didn't get paid, and then you have to get big coats and socks and pants to sleep in. And New Jersey taught me that as far as the NBA is concerned. I thought I'd made it, then it was over. If you aren't a future Hall of Famer, you have to be on your toes in the NBA. And I didn't deal with it well, but I didn't realize that until Italy. I felt like I was supposed to be here because I worked so hard and overcame so much.

MT: You had dealt with plenty of disappointment as a child - the lights going out, like you said - but you'd never been as disappointed in basketball, which had always rewarded you? You had to step away to see it, after New Jersey?CDR: That's right. Of course I'd had tough basketball experiences and losses but I eventually persevered. It came as a shock. But you know what, things could be worse.

MT: And how do you feel now?CDR: Right now, even though I'm in a moment of uncertainty, it's the first time I'm really at a moment of peace. I'm just positive now. I think it'll work out. (Lakers assistant) coach (Bernie) Bickerstaff told me this: 'You're never done paying dues. You're never done, no matter who you are.' I felt that was incredible, because it's true.

MT: So as you fight for a roster spot, trying to show what you can do, how do you reconcile that with the difficulty of actually getting a spot as an non-guaranteed player? CDR: It's hard to put it in perspective. Even though I know it's about business to a degree, the court is the only place I feel comfortable. I come in this gym and you have to recognize me. You have to recognize me here. I knew that coming in. Whether it's the coaches, the media, the other players, I knew that I'd come here and compete and be recognized - and I believe in that. Now, I've learned that the things you can't control you can't focus on too much. I'm in the gym so I just want to try and be one of the best and see what happens. That's what I've been doing so far, and I'm at peace with that. I'm just a basketball player.

MT: OK. I referenced how Kobe seems to have taken a liking to you earlier. Meanwhile, Smush Parker made some comments the other day - in response to Kobe's comments - that criticized him as a teammate and a person. What are your thoughts on Kobe after three weeks with him? CDR: Kobe is my man. He's been great to me. I don't know about Smush, but Kobe's been great with me from day one. He's a lunatic out here on the court, but I am too. He's one of the greatest to ever play this game ... and I've seen a guy who comes in here every day and treats practice like a game. I've seen a guy that will do anything to win. I've seen a guy who's extremely competitive in each part of his day. I figured out that Kobe talks trash to keep you at a certain level. It's about the alpha. This is what he does, and if you run with your tail between your legs, he sees this and he's going to act on this. I have no problem with that. I like that. (Lakers head coach) Mike Brown assigned him as my 1-on-1 partner on my first day, and it got real. It got physical, some elbows were thrown, there was trash talking both ways, but it was all in the competitive nature. We were going at it. And I guess that's why he respects me. He looks at me and he sees some characteristics in himself. I'm out there trying to kill you out there. Point blank, period. We can hang after practice, but I don't see any faces while we're on the court. I just see an opponent. If it's Kobe that day, we gotta go at it, man! He's extremely talented and skilled, so he's going to win most of the time - but that doesn't mean I'm not going to compete.

MT: So how often does he win?CDR: Well they were drills, not just classic 1-on-1. Maybe it was 5-2 him or something like that. Or 7-3. I'm not going to front. He wins the majority of the drills. It's funny - my homeboys always call me because they want to hear all the stories about what Kobe does. How does he maneuver? And Kobe knows that I'm watching. I have no shame in flat out watching and asking him for advice.

MT: What stands out about his game?CDR: The fundamentals ... no wasted motion. The little things I'm going to steal are how to get a defender off balance in subtle ways without the ref seeing. What he does when you come off a screen. A little elbow or a little shove when you come around the screen. All that stuff. Watching Kobe? Man, I'm from 30th Street, I would have never believed I'd be checking Kobe one day. And the bottom line is just that he'll do anything to win. That's it. That's what I love the most. People used to try and make me feel bad for that, but that's what he's all about.

MT: What are your first impressions of Pau Gasol?CDR: I think the world of Pau. From afar, I've always thought he was the most skilled player at his position, whether it's the four or the five. But off the court, if you're around Pau for a few days, his personality is gonna shine. He's the type of person that if you say something bad about him, you're a bad person. If you don't like him as a person, there's something wrong with you. He's great with his teammates. He had us listening to some Spanish (stuff) in the locker room, he said it was 'To get your body moving music,' and that was all right. That showed him, showed what he's like. So that was fun.

MT: How about Steve Nash?CDR: He's so unbelievable. He's super cool as a person, but as a basketball player, the plays he makes are unbelievable. The way he works, how you can't pressure him because of his handle. The handle is what I call a 'cuff handle' where it allows him to always make a pass off the dribble. His hands are underrated, they're big for a point guard, and that's how he's making passes with either hand because he can control the ball so well. Until you see him every day you wouldn't know, but that's where it starts.

MT: Since you seem to know Dwight Howard pretty well, let me ask you this. He was criticized in Orlando for not having the type of "serious" personality needed to really lead a team. If that's true, how does his demeanor fit in in L.A. with Bryant, Nash and Gasol in the locker room?CDR: I feel like Dwight can be himself over here because you have such serious guys in Kobe and Nash, and more of a loving type of guy in Pau. With that said, things in general are just more serious over here. Dwight has never had these kinds of expectations. I tell him all the time, which you've seen after practice: 'You may have to become a more serious guy because the expectations are so high and you have to meet them. You have a chance to be one of the greatest big men, a chance to be in the discussion. Why not do it? It may mean cutting down a little bit on the laughing and joking. I want him to be that dude every day. Because that's what Kobe does. Every play. Kobe wants you to know that you're not on his level. I want Dwight to be that.

MT: So would Dwight be better on the court if he was meaner? Even if that's not his natural way?CDR: I feel like yes. Just demoralize your opponent every time. Dunk on him. Don't help him up. "I just dunked on you!' I want opponents to fake injuries when it's time to play Dwight. I grew up watching the Bad Boys, and those guys were mean out there, man.

MT: OK I'll bite on the tangent: How does Bill Laimbeer play in the hood?CDR: Oh man, we LOVE Bill Laimbeer. He could just walk into the worst part of the hood. My guys all love him. He could walk in there today, and just take photos with people. Don't forget, he would knuckle up if he had to also when he was playing. He's going to rumble if it's that time.

MT: And it's our time to go. Thanks, Chris.CDR: My pleasure.

Gawddamn!! That might be the interview of the season so far. MT with outstanding questions and conversation to go with the flow of what CDR is saying to him, and still coming back and getting even more insight out of him as to who he is and what makes him tick. Outstanding job!

And CDR I have yet to really see play because I have no damn TV with Lakers coverage, and Potato hasn't played him a lot yet anyway. But I WANT this kid on the team just for who he is and what he brings as a mature and fierce competitor. Not to mention that he has Game from reading those who are familiar with his career. Wow....loved that read.

How come poor Marcus' name is getting thrown around in a derogatory sense so much all of a sudden? C'mon now that was Sky's guy (for the old timers here). Miss his posts. I used to hang out on LG just to read him over there after he got fed up here for some reason.

I got kicked out of LG about 4 months ago. Was never told why, but I think it was because I said I wanted to lick Ann Curry's butt. I don't know.

..... funny remarks shouldn't get you kicked off a forum..... but you should realize we have some classy gals that are fans of the P&G at CL.... just sayin'

Edit: classy "ladies"

Last edited by LTLakerFan on Fri Oct 19, 2012 11:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

karacha wrote:He was a 10/2/3 guy for NJN few years ago. He can produce in the NBA, no question. CDR is a good wing player and -- if Brown gives him a chance -- I believe he can be a very productive member of our bench. Him, Meeks, Jamison, Hill... those are all good players.

Yeah, that's why I'm not so concerned about our bench. They aren't producing well because when have we seen extended minutes of the kind of bench we can expect? When have we seen Blake/Meeks/Ebanks (or CDR)/Jamison/Hill (or Pau or Dwight or Sacre) out there? We haven't seen that much of this kind of team.

Not to mention bench units are going to take longer to develop because they need consistent minutes and they aren't going to get that for the most part (and that's true for any bench). They'll take longer to figure out the offense and to figure out each other's tendencies.

But a bench of Blake/Meeks/Ebanks/Douglas-Roberts/Jamison/Hill/Sacre isn't bad. Add in a few more like Johnson-Odom, Clark, and Duhon and you've got the solid bench we thought we'd have. We just have to be patient.

I think most people on here know that CDR can play the game on an NBA level. I really hope he makes the team. From that interview with Mike Trudell, you can tell that he has learned alot from Kobe's approach to the game.

Anytime someone asks a player what stands out specifically about Kobe's game and the first thing they say is "The fundamentals....no wasted motion", they're probably really paying attention, because alot of players go through their careers without a real understanding/appreciation for the little things that guys like Kobe work on. I mean, just look at how dominant Dwight has been and hey Hamm and the Rifleman are working to instill fundamental footwork principles in his game.

Him and Sacre' are the two players Id most like to see make the team.

"Come hell or high water we're gonna be there again. Its just something about the Lakers organization. Mitch is really, really good at it, he's really really good man...."

therealdeal wrote:^Goudelock actually showed me that he is an absolutely horrid PG and that he has developed almost nothing in that aspect of the game.

I'm still confused why he's getting so many minutes and we haven't seen DJO in two games.

I've said a couple of times that I wouldn't mind Goudelock playing some backup PG.. I know he can't really create for others and hasn't got great handling, but the kid can flat out shoot, and he'd be one of the few bench players that can actually create his own shot. I don't think his D is nearly as bad as some people here claim. He moves his feet well and doesn't gamble much. I don't think we can ask much more from a guy who's probably gonna play 10 minutes a game.. Blake is still my backup PG, but if he's in a slump I would definitely give Glock a chance. Good thing about the princeton is that you don't need to have one guy handling the ball a lot, so that should help hide Glock's deficiencies. I'd take him over Morris and Duhon ANY day, and maybe even over Blake if it was about the money and he was struggling.. He had good games against good teams last season, I remember he hit some important 3s against both Miami and Boston (at Staples). His floater was also always money. I am almost certain that if Brown gives him consistent burn he's gonna produce

"The first time I ever saw my uniform hanging in the locker I put it on right away, and it just felt like I was putting on golden armour. From that day forward, I just called it 'the golden armour', it just felt like there was something mystical and magical about it" - Kobe Bryant.

MT: Since you seem to know Dwight Howard pretty well, let me ask you this. He was criticized in Orlando for not having the type of "serious" personality needed to really lead a team. If that's true, how does his demeanor fit in in L.A. with Bryant, Nash and Gasol in the locker room?CDR: I feel like Dwight can be himself over here because you have such serious guys in Kobe and Nash, and more of a loving type of guy in Pau. With that said, things in general are just more serious over here. Dwight has never had these kinds of expectations. I tell him all the time, which you've seen after practice: 'You may have to become a more serious guy because the expectations are so high and you have to meet them. You have a chance to be one of the greatest big men, a chance to be in the discussion. Why not do it? It may mean cutting down a little bit on the laughing and joking. I want him to be that dude every day. Because that's what Kobe does. Every play. Kobe wants you to know that you're not on his level. I want Dwight to be that.

MT: So would Dwight be better on the court if he was meaner? Even if that's not his natural way?CDR: I feel like yes. Just demoralize your opponent every time. Dunk on him. Don't help him up. "I just dunked on you!' I want opponents to fake injuries when it's time to play Dwight. I grew up watching the Bad Boys, and those guys were mean out there, man.

It's quite telling from this interview during last year's preseason that Dwight didn't have "it" then, and still doesn't have "it" now. I sure hope CDR sticks around with us because all indicators show he has "it".